EDO3854 - 2 Linden Avenue, Evaluation Trench 1

Terrain Archaeology carried out an evaluation in the garden of 2 Linden Avenue, Dorchester in February 2004. Four small engineering test pits in the northern part of the garden were cleaned and recorded (trenches 1, 4, 5, & 6) and a further two machine-trenches were excavated in the southern part of the site (trenches 2 & 3). Across the site overlying the natural chalk, was a layer of garden soil representing the earlier garden prior to the construction of the present house in the 1960s. Over this were levelling layers of construction debris and soil, part of the landscaping for the present garden. Two pits filled with builder’s debris were found in the northwest part of the site. Trench 1 measured 1.9m x 1.1m and was excavated to a maximum depth of 1.15m in the NE part of the garden. The decayed top of the natural chalk lay at a depth of 0.95m (63.4m above OD). A single post-hole containing a single residual fragment of Roman roof tile was found. This was probably from a garden fence. No further archaeological features were recorded.